02/05/2020 Hayes to Knockholt walk - SWC Saturday Walkers Club www.walkingclub.org.uk Hayes to Knockholt walk Close to London, this walk in north-west Kent is entirely rural, traversing fields, woods and valleys in London's 'Green Belt'. It passes Charles Darwin's home, Down House (EH) Length 16km (10 miles) Toughness 4/10 Transport The stations for this walk are within Zones 5 and 6, so the walk can be done with any travelcard, season ticket or Freedom Pass that covers those zones. Hayes is the terminus of the mid-Kent line that runs from Charing Cross or Cannon Street, calling at London Bridge and Lewisham. Knockholt is served by hourly trains (xx.26) that run between Sevenoaks and Charing Cross, calling at Orpington and London Bridge. Change at Orpington for frequent local trains to Victoria. A return ticket to Knockholt is valid for the outward journey to Hayes. Suggested train : Catch the train nearest to 9.45am from Charing Cross to Hayes. Maps OS Explorer 147 + tiny bit of 162; OS Landranger 177 and 187 Walk notes Although close to London, this walk in the north-west of Kent is entirely rural in character, traversing fields, woods and valleys in London’s ‘Green Belt’. It passes Charles Darwin’s home, Down House, now an English Heritage property housing a fine exhibition about Darwin’s life and work. The lunchtime pub options are in Downe (a little less than halfway), or in Cudham (a little over halfway). The tea stops are 30 -40 minutes from the end of the walk. Shortening If stopping for lunch in Downe, or taking a picnic, you could take the Short cut option from Downe [point 16 in the the walk directions], which passes through a nature reserve associated with Charles Darwin. This bypasses Cudham and cuts about 1km off the total distance. If you plan to visit Down House (which is worth spending a couple of hours at) you could finish the walk at Downe, and later take the 146 bus (hourly, 7 days a week) from Downe to Bromley South for frequent trains to Victoria. The bus leaves from the roundabout at the centre of Downe. Lunch and The Blacksmith’s Arms , Cudham Lane South. Cudham, TN14 7QB (01959 572678). Food served noon -3.00pm every Tea day. Located 9.5 km from the start of the walk, this is the suggested lunch stop. The Queens Head , High Street, Downe, BR6 7US (01689 852145). Food served noon - 2.30pm Mon - Fri; noon - 3.30pm Sat & Sun. Located 7 km from the start of the walk, this is a possible early lunch stop, especially for those planning to visit Down House. https://www.walkingclub.org.uk/walk/hayes-to-knockholt/ 1/4 02/05/2020 Hayes to Knockholt walk - SWC The George & Dragon , High Street, Downe, BR6 7UT (01689 889030). Food served noon -2.30pm Mon - Fri; noon – 4.00pm Sat & Sun. Possible early lunch stop, located 7 km from the start of the walk. Arthur's Coffee Shop & Restaurant Coolings Nurseries, Rushmore Hill, TN14 7NN (01959 532269) / www.coolings.co.uk) . Food served 9.30am - 4.45pm Mon – Sat; 10am – 4.30pm Sun. Possible tea stop, located 2.5km from the end of the walk. The Rose and Crown Otford Lane, Halstead, TN14 7EA (01959 533120) Possible tea stop - 500 metres off route – located 2km from the end of the walk. Status Document last updated Monday 25 January 2010 Help Us! After the walk, we would love to get your feedback You can upload photos to the SWC Group on Flickr, and videos to Youtube. This walk's tags are: swcwalks swcwalk82 By Car Start BR2 7EN Finish TN14 7HR Help National Rail: 03457 48 49 50 • Travelline SE (bus times): 0871 200 2233 (12p/min) • TFL (London) : 0343 222 1234 Version Oct-18 Copyright © Saturday Walkers Club. All Rights Reserved. No commercial use. No copying. No derivatives. Free with attribution for one time non-commercial use only. www.walkingclub.org.uk/site/license.shtml Walk Directions 1. Leaving Hayes station, cross to The New Inn pub, turn right, then left up Station Hill and follow it round to the right. In 120m, at a T- junction, cross Warren Road onto Hayes Common, taking the middle of three grass paths (direction 190°). Enter the woods ahead, soon crossing a lane to continue through the wood (direction 150°). 2. In 90m, take the left fork, and continue straight ahead on the main path for 650m, ignoring all side paths and cross paths. On passing a small triangular area bounded by logs, with a bench on each side, join a path from the left, and bear right for 180m to emerge from the wood, past a wooden horse barrier, at the junction of Croydon Road and West Common Road. 3. Cross the busy Croydon Road with care, and go along West Common Road, forking left after 20m on an unsigned path into a wood. Soon after passing back gardens to the left, keep left at a fork, and continue heading east for 220m, going straight on at a cross path. At a path T-junction, turn left and in 40m turn right on a narrow path that soon leads to a road. 4. Cross the road, turn left then in 10m turn right through a gap in the wooden railings on to a path that immediately bears right to run parallel to the road (direction 170°) through a stretch of gorse and heather. This path can get waterlogged after rain. In 120m go up a slight slope, then in 100m join a path from the left and bear right. In 160m, at a clearing, turn left, then right (direction 170°). Go straight on at a cross path to emerge from the wood past a wooden barrier on to Keston village green. 5. Head across the green to the Greyhound pub, passing it on your left, and turn left at the road junction, leaving the Fox pub on your right. In 40m turn left into Lakes Road, following a London Loop sign. You will stay on the Loop for the next 2.4km, and can use the LL signs for navigation in cases of doubt. 6. At the end of the road go straight ahead on a tarmac path into woods (Ravensbourne Meadows). Where a school fence on the right ends, cross a stream, ignore a path to the right and continue straight on, crossing another small stream. The path gradually bends right, and in 200m a lake can be seen through trees on the left, before the path ends at Fishponds Road. 7. Cross the road and go straight ahead along the edge of a second lake, ignoring a higher parallel path. These lakes, and a third one ahead, are the Keston Ponds, a popular fishing spot. At the end of the lake, go up steps straight ahead to turn left alongside the next lake, and follow the path round to the right, staying beside the lake. 8. At the far side, you pass a shallow, circular, pebble-filled pool which is a spring, known as Caesar’s Well, that feeds the lakes and is the source of the River Ravensbourne. Go up steps to cross a car park, passing to the left of the island of trees, towards footpath signs on a post ahead. Go past a wooden barrier and take the path ahead, initially in a cutting, for 300m. At a T-junction turn left towards the adjacent road, following a sign marked ‘Wilberforce Oak’. https://www.walkingclub.org.uk/walk/hayes-to-knockholt/ 2/4 02/05/2020 Hayes to Knockholt walk - SWC 9. Cross the road and go up the path opposite, signposted to Downe, with a barbed wire fence to the left, behind which are the extensive grounds and buildings of Holwood House. In 500m, at the crest of the hill, is the Wilberforce Oak. Continue onwards, crossing a drive, to descend fairly steeply for 400m to reach the junction of Downe Road and Shire Lane. Just before reaching the road you leave the London Loop and ignore a metal kissing gate on the left. 10. Go straight on along Downe Road for 150m, and just past the sign for Holwood Farm on the left, cross a stile on the right, and in 30m a second stile into a field. Follow the right-hand side of this field and the next two fields, where horses are usually grazing. At the end of the third field, bear left towards a yellow arrow on a post, and follow the path (direction 100°) through trees up to a kissing gate to reach another field. Follow the clear path diagonally (direction 180°) up this field to enter a wood. Then, in 40m, at a 3-way footpath sign, take the left fork to go up a small slope and past a redundant stile. In 50m cross a stile beside a large oak to follow a path straight across a field. In 300m this becomes an enclosed path that soon leads out to a road (Rookery Lane), where you enter the village of Downe. 11. Turn right into High Street, Downe and in 250m reach the Queen’s Head pub on the left, with the George and Dragon just across the roundabout ahead. Either of these pubs can be used for an early lunch stop, but the recommended lunch pub for this walk is about 2km further on at Cudham. 12. Here you have a choice. If stopping for lunch at Downe, you could follow the short cut option afterwards, bypassing Cudham and shortening the walk by about 1km.